Tazkirul Quran · Tafsir · in English
As-Saffat 37:34–61
37:34–39Page 447
إِنَّا كَذَٰلِكَ نَفۡعَلُ بِٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ ٣٤
Indeed, that is how We deal with the criminals.
إِنَّهُمۡ كَانُوٓاْ إِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمۡ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ يَسۡتَكۡبِرُونَ ٣٥
Indeed they, when it was said to them, "There is no deity but Allāh," were arrogant
وَيَقُولُونَ أَئِنَّا لَتَارِكُوٓاْ ءَالِهَتِنَا لِشَاعِرٖ مَّجۡنُونِۭ ٣٦
And were saying, "Are we to leave our gods for a mad poet?"
بَلۡ جَآءَ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَصَدَّقَ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلِينَ ٣٧
Rather, he [i.e., the Prophet (ﷺ)] has come with the truth and confirmed the [previous] messengers.
إِنَّكُمۡ لَذَآئِقُواْ ٱلۡعَذَابِ ٱلۡأَلِيمِ ٣٨
Indeed, you [disbelievers] will be tasters of the painful punishment,
وَمَا تُجۡزَوۡنَ إِلَّا مَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ ٣٩
And you will not be recompensed except for what you used to do -
When they were told that there was nobody worth worshipping except God, they behaved haughtily. This does not mean that their haughty behaviour was directed against God. The majesty of God is too lofty to allow any individual to be so presumptuous. Their haughty behaviour, in fact, was aimed at His messenger. The leaders in whose name others indulged in polytheistic acts, were adversely affected by the Prophet’s call for belief in the oneness of God. On the one hand was the Prophet and on the other, the polytheistic leaders. Since the Prophet appeared to be of a lesser stature than the leaders, most people ignored him, considering him a person of little or no account. The force of argument was undoubtedly on the side of the Prophet, but apparent greatness seemed to reside in their leaders and history is replete with examples where the force of reason has proved ineffective in the face of apparent greatness.
37:40–49Page 447
إِلَّا عِبَادَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلۡمُخۡلَصِينَ ٤٠
But not the chosen servants of Allāh.
أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ لَهُمۡ رِزۡقٞ مَّعۡلُومٞ ٤١
Those will have a provision determined -
فَوَٰكِهُ وَهُم مُّكۡرَمُونَ ٤٢
Fruits;1 and they will be honored
فِي جَنَّٰتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ ٤٣
In gardens of pleasure
عَلَىٰ سُرُرٖ مُّتَقَٰبِلِينَ ٤٤
On thrones facing one another.
يُطَافُ عَلَيۡهِم بِكَأۡسٖ مِّن مَّعِينِۭ ٤٥
There will be circulated among them a cup [of wine] from a flowing spring,
بَيۡضَآءَ لَذَّةٖ لِّلشَّٰرِبِينَ ٤٦
White and delicious to the drinkers;
لَا فِيهَا غَوۡلٞ وَلَا هُمۡ عَنۡهَا يُنزَفُونَ ٤٧
No bad effect is there in it, nor from it will they be intoxicated.
وَعِندَهُمۡ قَٰصِرَٰتُ ٱلطَّرۡفِ عِينٞ ٤٨
And with them will be women limiting [their] glances,1 with large, [beautiful] eyes,
كَأَنَّهُنَّ بَيۡضٞ مَّكۡنُونٞ ٤٩
As if they were [delicate] eggs, well-protected.
The present world is a world of trial. Here people are given the opportunity to act freely so that God may separate the good from the bad. Those who prove by their words and deeds that they deserve to savour the joys of Paradise, will be selected by their Lord for this purpose. Special favours will be bestowed on them and they will be asked to remain forever in these gardens which afford every comfort and enjoyment.
37:50–61Page 447
فَأَقۡبَلَ بَعۡضُهُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٖ يَتَسَآءَلُونَ ٥٠
And they will approach one another, inquiring of each other.
قَالَ قَآئِلٞ مِّنۡهُمۡ إِنِّي كَانَ لِي قَرِينٞ ٥١
A speaker among them will say, "Indeed, I had a companion [on earth].
يَقُولُ أَءِنَّكَ لَمِنَ ٱلۡمُصَدِّقِينَ ٥٢
Who would say, 'Are you indeed of those who believe
أَءِذَا مِتۡنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَابٗا وَعِظَٰمًا أَءِنَّا لَمَدِينُونَ ٥٣
That when we have died and become dust and bones, we will indeed be recompensed?'"
قَالَ هَلۡ أَنتُم مُّطَّلِعُونَ ٥٤
He will say,1 "Would you [care to] look?"
فَٱطَّلَعَ فَرَءَاهُ فِي سَوَآءِ ٱلۡجَحِيمِ ٥٥
And he will look and see him1 in the midst of the Hellfire.
قَالَ تَٱللَّهِ إِن كِدتَّ لَتُرۡدِينِ ٥٦
He will say, "By Allāh, you almost ruined me.
وَلَوۡلَا نِعۡمَةُ رَبِّي لَكُنتُ مِنَ ٱلۡمُحۡضَرِينَ ٥٧
If not for the favor of my Lord, I would have been of those brought in [to Hell].
أَفَمَا نَحۡنُ بِمَيِّتِينَ ٥٨
Then, are we not to die
إِلَّا مَوۡتَتَنَا ٱلۡأُولَىٰ وَمَا نَحۡنُ بِمُعَذَّبِينَ ٥٩
Except for our first death, and we will not be punished?"
إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَهُوَ ٱلۡفَوۡزُ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ ٦٠
Indeed, this is the great attainment.
لِمِثۡلِ هَٰذَا فَلۡيَعۡمَلِ ٱلۡعَٰمِلُونَ ٦١
For the like of this let the workers [on earth] work.
Paradise will be a world of aesthetic and noble activity. There will be interesting meetings; there will be enjoyable experiences; intellectually stimulating conversations and all kinds of limitations and unpleasantness will have come to an end. Believing in the Hereafter does not mean a simple acceptance of it but rather considering the existence of the Hereafter as so very real and so very important that its concept should prevail over one’s entire life and one should be prepared to risk one’s all for its sake. Those who had thought of believers who were ever conscious of the Hereafter as being mad will be wonderstruck on seeing their success in the Hereafter. On the other hand, the believers in the Hereafter themselves will be surprised to see their own glory, finding it difficult to believe that God could have rewarded them so generously for their small acts of goodness. How strange is one who does not pine for such a heaven and who does not perform such deeds as will help him achieve it.
Text: through the Quran Foundation. The ayahs: Quran Foundation. Sources and licences